Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
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Yes! On Tuesday, October 6, at 7:00pm, there will be a Zoom meeting with Close Up where you can learn more from their staff and ask questions.
Feel free to check out the presentation slides from the September live sessions.
You may also reach out to us at oakpark4dc@gmail.com with any questions.
The trip dates are Wednesday May 5, 2027 through Saturday May 8, 2027.
The total all-incluive cost (airfare, buses within D.C., hotel, meals, tips night security, and programming) is $2000.
The CloseUp Foundation leads all programming, and sets up travel from the airport in D.C. to the hotel.
The first deposit of $500 is due November 30, 2026, which is considered the commitment deadline.
After this date, additional students may be added subject to availability and could incur an increased fee.
In order to make this trip as equitable as possible, we started fundraising in the spring into a shared pool to support students who will need help to finance the trip. All of our planned fundraising events such as the Fall Walk-a-Thon will also go into the pool which will be offered to students.
You may contact the your middle school social worker regarding financial aid. Funds are being raised into a pool that can then be distributed.
Yes! CloseUp Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit that has a list of companies that are set-up to match already, but if your company is not yet listed, they can help set it up.
Following the district's request for parent help fundraising in February of 2026, a group of parents met together to discuss how to support an overnight trip. This led to Elise Coleman and Lisa Peloquin leading an initiative to put the pieces in motion. Ultimately, in July of 2026, D97 announced that they had chosen not to organize an overnight field trip and to instead hand that responsibility to parents. Having already started putting the pieces in place to keep this trip going, Elise and Lisa decided to keep working and make the trip happen for 8th grade.
We are currently looking for parent chaperones to help with the trip. One chaperone is included with every 10 students at no additional cost to families. It is also possible to pay for yourself as a chaperone and donate that to a student who needs support to participate.
Additionally, we have learned that school teaching staff will not be able to join as chaperones per D97's decision.
The D97 administration has informed school teaching staff that they are not able to join as chaperones.
Yes! CloseUp has provided a proposed itinerary here.
You may also wan to check out their website to learn about their programs.
CloseUp programs focus on civics, government, and history education and include visiting Smithsonian museums and Capitol Hill, meeting with our local Congressional Representative, and providing a forum for discussion and debate and learning about civic participation.
We have coordinated with Nick Filipowski at Julian and April Moriarty at Brooks as well as with the district to ensure that the dates chosen are the best option for the trip. The dates include an institute day (Friday, May 7) so that students miss as few school days as possible and so that it doesn't overlap with testing or other activities.
Parents should inform their school that their students are participating and will therefore miss Wednesday, May 5 and Thursday May 6.
The goal of this trip is for our students to learn about our democracy, to see how it was originally constructed, and how people over the centuries have worked to help it reach its highest ideals - a government by, for, and of the people. Experiencing D.C. as it currently is, provides an educational opportunity for students to discuss how decisions should be made about the care and preservation of structures and memorials in a democracy. As 8th graders they are about 5 years away from voting in national elections and witnessing the capitol as it is will help them grow to become informed voters.
While we do not anticipate a trip cancelation, there is always the possibility of an unforeseen event requiring it. We recommend purchasing travel insurance if you a concerned about this. Close Up partners with Battleface for travel insurance, but you are welcome to use any travel insurance of your choice.